Azam Khan in trouble over remarks on Army, booked for sedition

Ajay Kumar, SHO of Chandpur police station in Bijnor, said the FIR was registered on Friday under IPC Sections 124 A (sedition), 131 (abetting mutiny), and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief).

Separate cases on charges of sedition and promoting enmity on grounds of religion, race etc have been lodged against senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan in Bijnor and Rampur districts for his alleged derogatory comments against the Army. Addressing partymen at the SP office in Rampur earlier this week, Khan had claimed women “dahshatgardon” (terrorists) were chopping off the private parts of security personnel (“fauj”) to send across a “strong message”, which should leave the entire country “ashamed”. In Bijnor, an FIR was registered against Khan on a complaint filed by a VHP leader, Anil Kumar Pandey. In Rampur, the complaint was filed by a former BJP MLA’s son.

Ajay Kumar, SHO of Chandpur police station in Bijnor, said the FIR was registered on Friday under IPC Sections 124 A (sedition), 131 (abetting mutiny), and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief). “The complainant alleged that Khan’s statement was meant to instigate revolt in the Army. The complainant further alleged that Khan, with his statement, has attempted to deviate them (soldiers) from performing their duties,” said the SHO. When contacted, Anil Kumar Pandey said he holds the the post of prant dharma prasar pramukh in the VHP. Pandey said he, along with others, had staged a dharna outside the Bijnor SP’s office on Thursday, demanding that an FIR be registered against Khan.

The case in Rampur was filed at the Civil Lines police station. “The FIR has been lodged on a complaint filed by Akash Saxena, son of former MLA Shiv Bahadur Saxena, under IPC Sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief),” said Station Officer Rajesh Kumar Solanki. Complaints against Khan have also filed in Lucknow, Meerut and Aligarh, but no FIRs have been lodged in these areas. Police said they were looking into the complaints.

Meanwhile, VHP leader Rajesh Kumar Awasthi on Thursday announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh to anyone who cuts off Khan’s tongue. Awasthi is VHP’s Shahjahanpur district secretary.